10 February 2003

Dallas, TX - Smiths Aerospace and Bristow Helicopters recently successfully completed a Helicopter Operations Monitoring Program (HOMP) trial for the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The two-year trial took place in Aberdeen, Scotland and involved the routine downloading and analysis of flight data from five Super Puma helicopters.

About the HOMP trial: The HOMP was the first helicopter version of civil fixed wing flight ops monitoring programs known as Flight Data Monitoring in Europe, and Flight Operations Quality Assurance in the U.S. The trial achieved excellent results, which demonstrated that the HOMP can bring about improvements in flying practice, training, operating procedures and coping with the operational environment. In the words of the UK CAA: “The CAA considers that the trial has been very successful in demonstrating real safety benefits, it has exceeded all expectations. A measure of its success is that the UK industry has voluntarily elected to fully implement HOMP across all of its North Sea helicopters in advance of any regulatory action.”

The CAA HOMP trial has continued to a second phase with helicopter operator (CHC Scotia Helicopters) and with a second aircraft type (Sikorsky S-76). The HOMP is also being demonstrated on U.S. Army Special Operations MH-47s.

About Flight Data Monitoring:

Flight Data Monitoring has been defined as a systematic method of accessing, analyzing and acting upon information obtained from digital flight data records of routine flight operations to improve safety. FDM involves the pro-active use of flight data to identify and address operational risks before they can lead to incidents and accidents.

About Smiths:

Smiths Aerospace is the leading transatlantic aerospace equipment company, with 12,000 staff and $2 billion revenue split equally between Europe and North America. Smiths Aerospace holds key positions in the supply chains on all major military and civil aircraft and engine manufacturers supplying integrated solutions. Strategically organized businesses focus on systems in electronics, actuation, detection, security, and marine, as well as precision components and Systems Customer Services.